1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a windshield supporting structure for absorbing impact through deformation of a part of a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In vehicle body structures, there is an impact absorbing structure in which an obstacle is protected from impact produced when the obstacle comes into collision with a vehicle body by absorbing the impact so produced through deformation of a part of the vehicle body.
As a typical example of this impact absorbing structure, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 6-16156 proposes a "Windshield Mounting Structure". The technology disclosed in this Publication will be described below, referring to FIG. 5.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a related windshield supporting structure, in which a pre-deformation state is indicated by a solid line, while a post-deformation state is indicated by a two-dot chain line.
This windshield structure is constructed such that a second member 102 is mounted to a cowl top panel 100, that an inserting portion 102a of the second member 102 is inserted into a first member 104, that the first member 104 is attached to the cowl top panel 100 with clips 106 . . . , and that a windshield panel 110 is attached to a connecting surface 102b of the second member 102 with an adhesive 108.
An inclined portion 100a of the cowl top panel 100 is attached to an upper portion 112a of a dashboard 112 so as to create a double construction. Therefore, should an obstacle such as a pedestrian come into collision with the windshield panel 110 to thereby produce an external force (force) F, which is applied to the windshield panel 110, the second member 102 is bent from a base portion 102c thereof, as shown by two-dot chain line.
However, since the distance L1 between a portion where the external force F is applied and the base portion 102c is short, even if the external force F is applied to the windshield panel 110, the second member 102 is only slightly deformed as indicated by the two-dot chain line. Due to this, should an obstacle come into collision with the windshield panel 110, there exists a risk of impact produced by the collision being not absorbed in a secure fashion.
FIG. 6 shows a windshield supporting structure adapted to absorb much impact that can be inflicted on an obstacle when it collides against the windshield.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a typical conventional windshield supporting structure, in which a pre-deformation state is indicated by a solid line, while a post-deformation state is indicated by a two-dot line.
In this windshield supporting structure, a rear end 122a of a windshield support 122 is attached to a rear end 120a of an upper portion 120 of a dashboard. A rubber 124 is placed on a front end 122b of the windshield support 122 and a lower edge 126a of a windshield 126 is, in turn, placed on the rubber 124. The lower edge 126a is then attached to the front end 122b of the windshield support 122 with an adhesive 125.
Should an obstacle 130 collide against the windshield 126, an external force F is applied to the front end 122b of the windshield support 122. A distance L2 from the point where the external force F is applied to the rear end 122a as a fixed end is longer than the distance L1 shown in FIG. 5. This allows the windshield support 122 to bend relatively largely as shown by the two-dot chain line, thereby absorbing impact that can be inflicted on the obstacle 130 to some extent.
However, since only one member of the windshield support 122 is deformed when an external force is applied thereto, the magnitude of deformation is limited, and this may result in a risk of impact that is to be inflicted on the obstacle 130 not being securely absorbed.